Kolmest

Kolmest is a fictional mineral used in mineralogy education and in speculative fiction to illustrate crystallography and geochemistry. It is described as a hydrated aluminosilicate with a layered sheet structure similar to the mica group, featuring TO4 tetrahedra linked by octahedral sheets.

In hypothetical descriptions, kolmest’s chemistry is intentionally variable, with potassium and aluminum as major framework cations and substitutions of magnesium, iron, or other divalent cations occurring within the octahedral layers. This flexibility is used in teaching to demonstrate solid-solution concepts and isomorphism within silicate minerals.

Etymology and naming conventions for kolmest reflect its fictional origins. The name is said to originate from the fictional Kolm region, with the suffix -est adopted to align with common mineral-naming conventions used in teaching materials and literature about mineralogy.

Physical properties attributed to kolmest in these scenarios include a Mohs hardness of 4–5, a color range from pale green to yellow-brown, perfect basal cleavage, and a density near 2.9 g/cm3. Optical properties are described as moderate birefringence with refractive indices around nα ≈ 1.60–1.65, though these values are illustrative rather than empirical.

Occurrence and use in the fictional setting place kolmest in low-grade metamorphic rocks. It is employed in examples to discuss mineral classification, polymorphism, and solid-solution behavior. No authentic natural samples are documented in real-world mineral databases, and kolmest remains a didactic construct rather than a recognized natural mineral.

See also: List of minerals, Mica group, Silicate minerals.